Student Science Study Group

Study Group advisor: Dr. Ákos Menyhárt

Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School news and information: the Student Science Study Group page of the Medical School

Faculty of Science and Informatics news and information: the Student Science Study Group page of the Faculty; the Student Science Study Group page of the Biology Institute

Project supervisors and research topics:

• Prof. Dr. Eszter Farkas: Neuroprotection in ischemic stroke: mechanisms and potential targets
• Prof. Dr. Károly Gulya: Cellular mechanisms of neuroinflammation
• Dr. Ádám Légrádi: The role of carbohydrate binding proteins in neuroinflammation
• Dr. Ákos Menyhárt: The mechanisms of impaired post-ischemic reperfusion
• Dr. Szilvia V. Kecskés: Cerebral blood flow responses in the ischemic and aging brain
• Dr. Rita Frank: Brain edema models in live brain slice preparations

Students:

• Mihály Erős, Faculty of Science and Informatics, Biology BSc program, Hungarian program
• Alexandra Gráczer, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, Hungarian program
• Zoltán Hudák, Faculty of Science and Informatics, Biology BSc program, Hungarian program
• Farnaz Jafarian, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, English program
• Péter Kozák, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, Hungarian program
• Ákos Teslér, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, Hungarian program
• Krisztián Vinga, Faculty of Science and Informatics, Biology MSc program, Hungarian program
• Anna Zsigmond, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, Hungarian program

 Achievements and commissions

Supervisors’ honors

Dr. Ákos Menyhárt:

• Excellent Undergraduate Research Project Supervisor for the Hungarian Students’ Research Societies, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 2018, 2021, 2023.

Prof. Dr. Eszter Farkas:

• Tutor, Biology Study Group, University of Szeged, Eötvös Loránd College, 2024-
• Member of the Faculty Board of the Student Science Study Group, 2002-2006; 2021-
• Excellent Undergraduate Research Project Supervisor for the Hungarian Students’ Research Societies, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 2016, 2021.
• Gold Medal for Excellence in Supervising (The National Council of Students’ Research Societies of Hungary, OTDT), 2019.
• Supervisor of Pro-Scientia decorated student (Dr. Borbála Éva Szepes) (OTDT Pro-Scientia Gold medal Committee), 2019.

Students’ achievements

2024.

Péter Kozák: Second prize lecture - the 27th Korányi Frigyes Scientific Forum, Semmelweis University, Budapest
Division: Radiology
Title: Paradoxical mismatch between sensory-motor deficit and infarct size in acute ischemic stroke
Supervisors: Dr. Ákos Menyhárt Assistant Professor, Dr. Réka Tóth PhD student

Anna Zsigmond: Second prize lecture - the 27th Korányi Frigyes Scientific Forum, Semmelweis University, Budapest
Division: Neurosciences
Title: Nimodipine protects against spreading depolarization and neuroinflammation
Supervisors: Dr. Rita Frank Assistant Professor, Prof. Dr. Farkas Eszter Professor

Alexandra Gráczer: Third prize lecture and Special prize of the Hungarian Gerontological and Geriatric Society - 2nd György Romhányi Conference at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, Hungary
Title: The potential neuroprotective effect of dasatinib and quercetin in focal ischemic stroke in aging rats.
Supervisors: Dr. Szilvia V. Kecskés Research Fellow, Prof. Dr. Eszter Farkas Associate Professor

2023.

Alexandra Gráczer, Zoltán Hudák: First prize lecture - Student Science Study Group Conference - 2023. Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School
Division: Physiology, Pathophysiology 3
Title: The potential neuroprotective effect of dasatinib and quercetin in focal ischemic stroke in aging rats.
Supervisors: Dr. Szilvia V. Kecskés Research Fellow, Prof. Dr. Eszter Farkas Associate Professor

Péter Kozák: First prize lecture - Student Science Study Group Conference - 2023. Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School
Division: Pathology, Morphology, Diagnostic imaging 3
Title: Paradoxical mismatch between sensory-motor deficit and infarct size in acute ischemic stroke
Supervisors: Dr. Ákos Menyhárt Assistant Professor, Dr. Réka Tóth PhD student

Anna Zsigmond: Second prize lecture - Student Science Study Group Conference - 2023. Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School
Division: Physiology, Pathophysiology, Pharmacology 5
Title: Nimodipine protects against spreading depolarization and neuroinflammation
Supervisors: Dr. Rita Frank Assistant Professor, Prof. Dr. Farkas Eszter Professor

Mihály Erős: Third prize lecture - Student Science Study Group Conference - 2023. Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School
Division: Physiology, Pathophysiology, 2
Title: Spreading depolarization is associated with reperfusion failure in a mouse model of acute ischemic stroke
Supervisors: Dr. Ákos Menyhárt Assistant Professor, Anna Tóth PhD student

Ákos Teslér: Third prize lecture - Student Science Study Group Conference - 2023. Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School
Division: Physiology, Pathophysiology, Pharmacology 4
Title: Pharmacological modulation of aquaporin 4 is protective in a mouse model of acute ischemic stroke
Supervisors: Dr. Ákos Menyhárt Assistant Professor, Dr. Réka Tóth PhD student

Krisztián Vinga: Third prize lecture - Student Science Study Group Conference - 2023. Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School
Division: Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Cell biology 3
Title: Dimethyltryptamine inhibits microglia activation in primary cell cultures
Supervisors: István Pesti PhD student, Prof. Dr. Farkas Eszter Professor

Farnaz Jafarian: Third prize lecture and poster - the 27th Korányi Frigyes Scientific Forum, Semmelweis University, Budapest
Section: Experimental medicine
Title: Hyperosmotic treatment mitigates glial swelling and attenuates lesion development in vitro
Supervisors: Dr. Rita Frank Assistant Professor, Dr. Ákos Menyhárt Assistant Professor

Péter Archibald Szarvas: Third prize lecture and poster - the 27th Korányi Frigyes Scientific Forum, Semmelweis University, Budapest
Section: Neurodegenerative diseases, neuroscience
Title: Nimodipine application inhibits spreading depolarization in live mouse brain slice preparations
Supervisors: Dr. Rita Frank Assistant Professor, Prof. Dr. Eszter Farkas Professor

2022.

Farnaz Jafarian: Second prize lecture - Student Science Study Group Conference - 2022. Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School
Division: Physiology, Pathophysiology, Pharmacology 1.
Title: Hyperosmotic treatment as a potential therapy to mitigate glutamate accumulation and ischemic injury linked to astrocyte swelling
Supervisors: Dr. Rita Frank Assistant Professor, Prof. Dr. Farkas Eszter Professor

Péter Kozák: Second prize lecture - Student Science Study Group Conference - 2022. Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School
Division: Physiology, Pathophysiology, Pharmacology 3.
Title: The dysfunction of neurovascular coupling is induced by spreading depolarization in a mouse model of ischemic stroke
Supervisors: Dr. Ákos Menyhárt Assistant Professor, Dr. Armand Rafael Bálint PhD student

Zaid Hammad, Ramez Alhaj Hussein: Third prize lecture - Student Science Study Group Conference - 2022. Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School
Division: Physiology, Pathophysiology, Pharmacology 5.
Title: Pulmonary consequences of global and focal cerebral ischemia in rats
Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Ferenc Peták Professor, Petra Somogyi PhD student

Sarah Danica Berger: First prize for students’ research competition essay
Title: Reduced collateral circulation predicts insufficient reperfusion in the ischemic mouse cerebral cortex
Supervisor: Dr. Ákos Menyhárt, Assistant Professor

Gábor Barczánfalvi: Second prize lecture - 36rd Student Science Study Group Conference, Faculty of Science and Informatics Local Conference, 2022 Spring
Section: Biology II - Neurophysiology
Title:  Quantitative morphological analysis of Thioflavin S-labeled amyloid plaques and deposits in human Alzheimer's disease samples
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Károly Gulya Professor

2021.

Sarah Berger, Sarah Samardzic: First prize lecture - Student Science Study Group Conference - 2021, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School
Division: Physiology Pathophysiology 2.
Title: Reduced collateral circulation predicts insufficient reperfusion in the ischemic mouse cerebral cortex
Supervisors: Dr. Ákos Menyhárt Assistant Professor, Dr. Réka Tóth PhD student

Sarah Samardzic, Sarah Berger: Second prize lecture - Student Science Study Group Conference - 2021, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School
Division: Physiology Pathophysiology 4.
Title: Suppression of spreading depolarization improves post-ischemic reperfusion in the mouse cortex
Supervisors: Dr. Ákos Menyhárt Assistant Professor, Anna Törteli PhD student

Farah Yaseen: Second prize lecture - Student Science Study Group Conference - 2021, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School
Division: Physiology Pathophysiology 1.
Title: The detrimental effect of aging and ischemia on cerebrovascular reactivity, and potential benefits of nimodipine
Supervisors: Dr. Szilvia V. Kecskés Research Fellow, Prof. Dr. Eszter Farkas Associate Professor

Kozák Péter Mihály: Third prize lecture - Student Science Study Group Conference - 2021, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School
Division: Physiology Pathophysiology 3.
Title: Nimodipine is protective against the dysfunction of neurovascular coupling in the wake of spreading depolarization
Supervisors: Dr. Ákos Menyhárt Assistant Professor, Prof. Dr. Eszter Farkas Associate Professor

Péter Archibald Szarvas: First prize for students’ research competition essay
Title: Comparative analysis of spreading depolarizations in rat brain slices exposed to osmotic or
metabolic stress
Supervisors: Rita Frank PhD student, Prof. Dr. Eszter Farkas Associate Professor

Gegely Stefancsik
József Sófi Foundation for Talents Scientific Scholarship Conference, Advisory Board Prize
Presentation: Activation state of microglia and galectin-1 expression in aging
Supervisors: Dr. Ádám Légrádi, Dr. Tamás Kiss

Péter Archibald Szarvas: First prize lecture
Section - division: Theoretical Medicine – Physiology, Pathophysiology 3.
Title: The electrophysiological and histological characterization of spreading depolarizations induced with various triggers in live brain slice preparations
Supervisors: Dr. Ákos Menyhárt, Assistant Professor; Dr. Rita Frank

Réka Tóth: Second prize lecture
Section - division: Theoretical Medicine – Physiology, Pathophysiology 7.
Title: Cytotoxic edema causes simultaneous depolarization in anoxic live brain slice preparations
Supervisors: Dr. Ákos Menyhárt, Assistant Professor; Dr. Rita Frank